Taliban ‘invites’ translators to remain in their own country

As concerns deepen for the safety of Afghan translators who worked alongside US and NATO forces for 20 years, once foreign troops have left the country, the Taliban on Monday issued a statement urging them not to leave Afghanistan.

In a statement issued by the group, the Taliban said it “invites them to return to their normal lives and serve their country if they specialize in their field. We do not pose a threat to them.”

The group stated that the translators are urged to “express their regret for their past and not take such a path in the future, which is considered treason against Islam and the country.”

“We used to consider them our enemy when they stood directly in the line of our enemy, but whenever they leave the line of the enemy and want to live as a normal Afghan in their country, they will not have any problems and they should not be afraid.

“And continue to live peacefully in their country, and if someone takes a threat to his life and makes a fake case to go abroad, this is his problem, not the problem of the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate,” their statement read.

This comes after the UK government last week announced that local staff who worked for the UK government in Afghanistan, including translators, will be eligible for expedited relocation to the UK under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP).

The US has also stated it will accelerate the SIV process for those who worked with them.

On Thursday, the US State Department said that America has “a special commitment and a special responsibility” to the interpreters.

According to a US official, the State Department is adding staff in Washington and Kabul to deal with the backlog and has requested Congress authorize funding for more visas.

The 18,000 SIV applicants also have about 50,000 spouses and children under 21 that can move with them.

The Washington Post reported Sunday that at least 300 interpreters or their family members have been killed since 2014.